The youth protesters joined the activity bearing placards and streamers with the words, ‘Kalderong dapat may laman, saan ang sinasabing pag-unlad at kasaganahan?’ (Empty pots and pans, where are the government’s claims of progress and economic relief?)’.

The protesters, youth and students from different schools, universities and urban poor communities, mocked Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s recent declarations of progress and economic growth.

Arroyo, in her speech during her latest visit to Hongkong, said that ‘2007 was the best year for the Philippine economy.’ She also boasted about a supposed 7.3 percent economic growth and declared that her government has generated one million jobs.

“The bottomline remains that all these flowery talks of progress do not trickle down not only to poor folks but even middle class families and young professionals. The glaring fact is we are confronted with soaring prices and a menacing economic crisis which the government seems to be in total denial of,” said Anakbayan national chairperson Eleanor de Guzman.

A score of reasons
De Guzman said that common folks could think of a score of reasons for the millions of ‘kalderong dapat may laman.’ “Corruption, poor governance, misprioritization of public funds, pure and simple government neglect and lack of political will from the Arroyo government to mete out economic relief.”

She cited the latest hot issue of the rice crisis as an example. “As before, all of the government’s efforts are knee-jerk reactions and band-aid solutions that do not address endemic and policy-related problems. Panay palusot, panay pagbabango pero wala namang makabuluhang resolusyon(Mere excuses or acts to save face but no genuine valuable resolutions).”

“Proposed tarrif cuts and increased importation of rice products, for instance, may offer short-term outcomes but these fail to address the economy’s import-dependence vis a vis self-suffiency and the government’s implementation of cartel-favored deregulation policies,” de Guzman said. ###